Thursday, January 07, 2016

Some Antique Quilt Goodness–McKinney Style!

There were just a few vintage beauties worthy of photo taking while Irene and I rummaged around the antique mall in McKinney Texas before my flight home on Monday.

THIS one took my breath away. ALL of that feather quilting done by hand somewhere around the mid 1800s.

Can you see it?

It’s a rose variation, and the secondary pattern comes when you put the blocks together without sashing…it’s FABULOUS!

It’s also fabulously shredded.

Oh. My. Word!

Upon closer inspection we found the green to be a print, likely with a black design that over time just ate away at the fabric. What looks like outlining on the leaves is actually where the shapes were outline quilted, holding the seam allowance in place between the applique stitches and the quilting, giving that area a darker appearance.

I’ve seen this time and time again in beautiful applique quilts, where all of the stitching was in the background, leaving minimal quilting in the applique shapes, if any at all. If these pieces aren’t anchored down with stitching, they poof up, and are the first places to wear away.

Notice in this quilt that the rose centers ((the bulls-eye bits!)) are heavily crosshatched. These will not wear – but the leaves, and their simple outlining did.

It is still a beautiful quilt..just LOOK at those feathers! I was gobsmacked at the amount of work that went into this one!

Make My Heart Sing!

I love this simple 1940s-1950s Album block with all of its fabrics of the day. The blue sashing and gold cornerstones are perfect, and I also love that the cornerstones do not go into the outer border – they draw your focus to the center of the quilt. And those round corners at the edge? Sweet!

These kinds of homey quilts set my heart on fire!

Dutchman’s Puzzle!

Most of these fabrics are mourning prints from right around the turn of 1900. The burgundy resist, or claret is WONDERFUL! She used one print for the sashings, and a few different ones for the outer border, there are spots where she ran out of one, and just stuck something else on to make the border long enough on the right hand side. See it at the bottom?

This is one I would love to wrap up in!

Tumbler love!

I didn’t get a full shot of this one as it was hanging on a rack on the wall and getting it down would have been a problem – but look at these fabrics! 1950s and 1960s..and those ginghams!!

I’m headed to South Carolina to teach tomorrow, and since it is a driving trip I am able to take more things..my current GREEN project is to the point where I can start assembling things and my tumblers will come along to help faciliate along the way.

This is what’s going on down here in the Studio.

See that backing fabric? CHAIRS! I love it!

This quilting design is called Gossimer and I’m loving the texture.

I haven’t quite reached 1/2 way yet, so will be working on that today. I’d like to see it off the machine, to put binding on by the time Quilt-Cam rolls around at 9pm Eastern. Are you planning on joining me? Just come here to the blog at 9pm Eastern, look for the post that says QUILT-CAM (Not the archives – it doesn’t go into the archives until AFTER we are logged off for the night) and sew along with me.

Binding of choice – red with Chicken Feet!

Back in Stock!

Another shipment of 1000 blocks has arrived, and I have 30 copies available in the Quiltville Store and more will be arriving shortly. I’m doing everything I can do to keep these in stock as they are such a hot item, but they are flying off my shelves! 1,000 of your favorite block designs from the awesome 100 blocks series by Quiltmaker Magazine. I wrote more about this book release HERE.

Please note that I do not ship this book internationally because it weighs over 4 lbs all by itself, and the shipping to Europe for 1 book is $54.00! Please check your local retailers if you are outside of the USA for this one, folks.

Copies ordered AFTER today will ship upon my return home from South Carolina.

Quiltville Quote of the Day!

It takes a lot of courage

to push yourself to places

You’ve never been before.

Push yourself a little farther today than is comfortable. There is no growth without struggle, and the rewards are far greater than you could ever imagine! This quilt is part of a late 1990 s half log cabin made by me. It hangs on the wall of my studio to remind me daily of this journey.

15 comments:

Ha! I just finished pressing the 2014 Leader/Ender Challenge top, getting it ready for borders. I guess I'm a year behind! Love that string quilt you are working on. And looking forward to your green project. Have fun in ?SC!

Hoping I'm home tonight to join in Quilt Cam. If so, I'll be cutting fabrics - no sewing. I've got a quilt top that needs a backing; I'm planning on cutting blocks from the leftover scraps. I just bought a new ruler set that will make a 6" pieced block; thought I'd include a column of those in the backing - or maybe make 4-patches from the pieced blocks.

I've set a phone alarm to 8:30 EST. Cant wait to see you Bonnie, I've missed so many quiltcam's. It is a highlight of my day to sit and sew along with you. Love the info on appliqued leaf's flowers, I did not know that, I'll be back tracking all my applique's to make sure they will live long past me. Thank you Bonnie, for all you do for us.

It makes me tired and my hands hurt seeing some of these gorgeous antique quilts. The ladies put so much time and effort into their beauties, without all the tools that we have available today. Thank you so much for sharing Bonnie. The crumb blocks/star quilt is gorgeou.

Honestly now, what happens when you go to the antique malls? Folks run home and get the quilts :) --- we shop and visit many antique malls and have never ever seen anywhere as many quilts, or as many great quilts, as you find! Isn't it fantastic that you are able to run into these beauties? Such fun. Did that first one come home with you?

I have an order in for 'Primarily Quilts by Di Ford' .... yupppers this one COST! But if I were to buy, at shop prices,2 books, and paying the taxes etc... this Di Ford book would cost about the same. The shop online had it for $19.00 OFF, and only $4.99 postage.

When can we your next book Miss Bonnie. :) We are waiting rather impatiently. :)

LOVE the thought of the day --- we all need to stretch ourselves often.

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What beautiful antique quilts. Enjoy Quiltcam I won't be able to join you as I am back at work. But I will watch it tonight when I sit down at the sewing machine for a sewing session. It has been a week since I had some sewing time. My Allietare blocks are scream at me to sew them up.

"It takes a lot of courage to push yourself to places you’ve never been before." Boy, did I need to see that this evening! I will be working on a Baby's Name banner during Quilt Cam, and it involves applique. I call it the "A" word, and am not overly fond of this technique as my quilty buddies well know. On to the sewing room to push through this challenge! Thank you Bonnie!!

Thank you for the pictures of the quilts. It keeps me in the loop to see things like this.I would love to buy the 1000 blocks book but I am going to wait until my DH gets back on his feet and back at work after just having shoulder replacement surgery.I will be content with what I slready have. Again, thank you so much!